Ethical Trading

At Thompson's Tea, we only source our leaves from growers who have high standards, make great teas, and whom we can trust.

People who share our ideals regarding their relationship with their workforce, treating their fellow worker with respect and offering equal opportunity.

We, like our suppliers, share our belief that we are only as good as our workforce. In the early years, our fathers bought most of their teas from Williamson and Magors, owners of the finest gardens in all India. Mr Williamson and Mr Richard Magor were passionate about making great tea, but were equally proud of the facilities and working conditions they provided for all who worked there.

Nobody told them to provide good housing, hospitals and classrooms, they just wanted to do it.Their proudest achievement must surely be their school on Harchurah tea estate in Assam, capable of providing its pupils with University entry education.

Nowadays our sourcing policy is, by necessity, more formalized, and, although we source from these same famous gardens, we have extended our sourcing policy to include regular garden visits and extensive checks.

Thankfully for us, it is very often the gardens which produce the finest teas, who also have the resources and the will to provide properly for their labour force.

Furthermore, it makes us happy to know that paying premium prices for our tea leaves means that this additional money can help to provide better facilities for employees and families on the tea garden.

The best gardens are able to command the highest prices, and in turn, are able to provide better amenities and services on the tea garden, from quality housing and on-site hospitals, to excellent classrooms for the children.